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As fall and winter bring colder temperatures, insects and other foods become scarce. Most insect-eating birds head south to find food.

Some species of birds spend the winter as close as the southern U.S. or as far as South America . Most insect-eating birds travel to Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. These birds actually spend more time on their tropical wintering grounds than they do on U.S. or Canadian breeding grounds.

As spring arrives the birds return north. But why not stay in the warm tropics where food is available year round? The main reason is the massive burst of emerging insects in the northern spring and the longer days in which to forage for food. Migrant birds can produce more young under these conditions than similar species in the tropics. There are also fewer predators, parasites, and diseases in temperate regions. More young can be produced and survive to adulthood, making migration worth the cost.

In North America there are four distinct flyways; the Atlantic, the Mississippi, the Central and the Pacific. Northwest Indiana falls within the Mississippi flyway. In our particular area bird migration is affected by Lake Michigan. Many birds follow the shorelines as they navigate seasonally up and down the lake.

Many of them rest and feed in woods and fields at the south end of the lakeshore before proceeding north or south depending on the season. The lake itself attracts many species of waterfowl, which tend to concentrate at the southern most tip of the lake. Many shorebirds forage on the beach to fuel their long journey.

When the last Ice Age ended, the short cool summers favored animals like insects with short life cycles. Some bird species took advantage of the large food source and fewer competitors by expanding their ranges north. Migration may have started as birds began to make use of these areas made available by changing climate. However, they were forced to return south at the end of summer when insect populations dropped.

Over time as more northerly areas warmed, birds were able to move farther and farther north. It is believed that some bird species gradually developed migration strategies to take advantage of temperate climates. It is also thought that current migration routes follow the same path on which habitats expanded as the ice retreated.

Yes and no. Our current platform doesn't allow us to take credit card information online. We do have an online form that will quicken the process of getting a gift card. Fill out all the details and we will call you to confirm and collect payment information. Online form HERE.

Once a card is activated it should be treated like cash, we do not mail them out. What we'll do instead is send you an email certificate that can you can print out and give to the recipient. To pick up the card, the guest just needs to bring the certificate with them when they come to play (along with a photo ID) and we'll have the card ready for them at the front desk. Of course, you may also pick the card up yourself.

Bellaboo Bucks cards can be made in any amount. You can find our prices for general admission HERE and Play Pass HERE. If you purchase your card let us know and we're happy to figure out the right amount, and we can include that information on your certificate (i.e. You've been gifted Bellaboo's Bucks for an Annual Play Pass!). If you're filling out the online form, and have a specific request let us know in the notes section.

Yes, a daily draw occurs at 4:30 during each day of the waterfowl season. No fee is collected to draw. You must have 3 or four members of your party present at 4:30 to draw. Singles or parties of 2 will be allowed to hunt stand by if any blinds are available.

A shooting schedule will be published that will identify which blinds will be open for the day and what the shooting times will be. Throughout the season blinds available for hunting and what the shooting times will be.

Yes. A $20 permit fee is required for each season and covers you until the season closes or you have filled your tag. This means that if you wish to hunt during the archery season you pay $20. This fee will cover you until the end of the season if you do not harvest an animal. Once an animal is harvested you must pay an additional $20 if you want to continue hunting during archery season. You are allowed to harvest a total of two deer during the Archery season. If you wish to hunt during muzzleloader or firearms season you need to pay an additional $20 per season.

Yes. Come to the check station and we will identify areas that are off limits to deer hunting. Most of these areas that are close to waterfowl hunting areas. Also some areas may allow hunting with only certain equipment.

Only if number of hunters out-numbers allowed per hunting area at 5 a.m. After that we will operate on a first come first served basis. Hunters are expected to be respectful to other hunters when it comes to check in and check out time. There is no charge to draw.